Sayonara
by FeeBee Bumblebee 2002
Summary: Set after Kikyo's supposed death on Mount Hakurei. SessKik. Hope you like it. Don't forget to review!


The swing of a sword. A blast of sheer energy. A counterstrike.

Laughter filled the air. The atmosphere was dim and cold, so much that one could not tell day and night apart, and the heavens had been dyed with an unusual shade of lavender. The sky-high mount, which used to be a place to soothe the restless spirits of departed beings had turned into a blazing battlefield, and it's naturally pure, serene surface had been tainted with the impious touch of poison and death.

 _If there was one_

 _Just one wish…_

Golden eyes narrowed in anger at the sinister skies, regarding with clear distaste the fading forms of an all-too familiar villain. The shady man nearly shook with evil laughter, shattered parts of his body - or what was left of it - rejoining their original spots like pieces of a wicked puzzle.

He disappeared. Hints of poisonous miasma still filled Sesshomaru's nostrils and brought chilling, disgusted shivers up his spine. Tokijin was still heated up from the previous charge, which had been anything but effective, much to the lord of the West's dismay. His flaming stare kept fixed upon the fleeing fiend, his mind struggling to find whatever self-control he still possessed. It seemed like an impossible task, though.

 _"Such impudence… You merely wished to test the power of your new body against me."_

Steps. Someone was coming his way, running swiftly like no human could. Sesshomaru put his sword away and let it rest against his waist. The wind's shrill whistle blew through his silvery locks and pierced through his ears, yet his acute sense of hearing still managed to pick on the approaching sound of rough steps. His head turned sideways and a half-frown stamped his fine face; his sunset golden oculars had stumbled upon yet another enemy.

"Sesshomaru." The man panted, his voice ragging. His attire was covered in dust and mud, and his silver mane was in utter disarray. Much like everyone else, he too probably had had a hard time struggling his way out of Mount Hakurei.

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru mentally sighed at that vision - he should expect no less from his half brother. "Still alive, are you?"

"What are you doing here?" He asked the older demon.

"It seems that Naraku's main interest was not you." Sesshomaru looked elsewhere and his eyes met a familiar weapon laying on the ground. "But rather his real objective was to kill that woman." It had been torn apart and split into two separate pieces…and the priestess who had previously used it against Naraku, pushed down into hell's abyss.

"Kikyo's bow." Inuyasha gradually followed his brother's gaze. Golden oculars widened in shock and his heart went numb for a second at the sudden, unwanted realization. "No, Kikyo."

 _If there was one_

 _Just one wish that could be granted…_

 _What would I wish for?_

Sesshomaru's gaze chased his brother as he rushed past him and knelt by the broken weapon, grabbing one of the halves with his claws. His façade remained calm, yet the demon lord was inwardly fighting the awkward whirlwind of emotions gradually consuming his being. That name… How could a single utterance like that render him so much distress, and an awful feeling of impotence? Why did it make his stone-built heart secretly ache and clench in sorrow? Could it be…?

His thoughts were interrupted. The growling sound of Inuyasha's bitter words served as an unwanted distraction, a nuisance to his ears. _"I failed you again, Kikyo. I let you die. I wasn't there for you when you died alone…"_ His brother's sentence played repeatedly in Sesshomaru's mind, filling his very spirit with the burden of a feeling he believed to have buried deep inside the sands of his past: guilt.

Hostile winds ran through the demon lord's silvery locks, blowing his musings away from raw reality and forcing them back to the carefree days of 51 years ago. Days he had so diligently erased from his memory for considering them a disgraceful stain on his reputation… Days when he still had a living heart, when the Lord of the West did not have much use for his mask of coldness… when he fell a victim of his own father's legacy…

When he developed unwelcome feelings for a human woman.

It was that time the lord of the Western Lands learned he had not only inherited his father's great power, but also his heart. A heart that felt compassionate toward humankind, a heart that cared for those helpless creatures… A heart that took into loving one of them. The irony was appalling, but the newly found object of his affections was a human priestess and he was gladly aware she returned his feelings.

Happiness would naturally flow whenever they were together, yet they were forced to hide their romance and pretend to be strangers. Should it become public, their relationship would be frowned upon. As a priestess and protector of the Shikon Jewel, Kikyo was to remain pure and untouched, but she had been tainted with the love of a demon, just as much as he had been with hers. Sesshomaru was not pleased with this, yet he looked forward to his furtive meetings with his beloved, having the moonlight as the only witness of their forbidden passion.

Every moon that graced the dim skies, Sesshomaru gained new hints of humanity. His love for her deepened so much, that he wanted her to be with him in his lands, even bring her sister with them. The promise was made and they had their first kiss, the kiss he wanted from the woman he loved. A promise to made to find a way to destroy the Shikon Jewel forever, and Kikyo would be released from the curse that chained her to an unearthly life. She would finally be able to shed her hood of purity and surrender completely to the demon lord's arms, to live like an ordinary woman, just as she had wanted and they could be together forever, in peace.

 _With you - you who were right at my side_

 _Are no longer here_

Parting, harsh as it might be, was made necessary. Kikyo ran, sacred of her mind, screaming his name. He went to her, grasping her shoulders as she said,

 _"Sesshomaru, you must leave, please!"_ He was shocked to hear those words of out his beloved's lips. He looked away and asked her,

 _"Why would I run?"_

 _"Please, you need to. A monk...he figured everything out...he saw us, he heard us! Please, if you do not go...then you could get injured. Even if we leave, they would never leave us in peace..."_ Sesshomaru nodded sadly as he glanced up at the tree and said a very painful thing.

 _"I will return within a year."_ He kissed her and savoured the taste of her lips and she pulled something out of her hair and placed it in his hand and kissed it.

 _"Return this when our love is once again reunited..."_ Then she turned her back to him _"Now please, hurry so you can hurry back to me."_ It hurt him when she turned her back to him and he stared at her. He reached out his hand to touch her one last time but hesitating pulled back. He nodded and flew away, away from his bellflower, his Kikyo. _"I will come back for you, my Kikyo. I promise, my beloved."_ And then a teardrop fell from his eye.

A year passed and he was heading back to Kikyo, his beautiful bellflower and he looked at the silver hair stick in his hand, it's dazzling crimson ruby glistening in the light as he remembered her beautiful smile, wanting to embrace her again. He was held up which made him miss the time to come back to Kikyo but he was determined to see his beloved again and when he was nearing the village, he could smell her scent, she smelled of Chinese Bellflowers, one of the things that he loved about her.

But when sniffed the air again, his eyes went wide open at a scent so familiar, that he knew immediately who it belonged to _"It can't be! How is he there, in the village? He can't be there!"_ He thought in disbelief and then he thought if he hurt Kikyo _"If he touched my Kikyo, I'll kill him!"_ He hurried to the village, then he picked up the scent of dead demons and human blood coming from the village, he panicked at the smell of human blood and thought that Kikyo got severely injured but calmed down a bit when the scent of daisies reached his nose but he knew who had that scent and it was Kikyo's little sister, Kaede, he believed her name was and he felt bad for her.

When he landed near the village, he was looking for Kikyo in the last place he saw her then he went to the grassy hill that he and Kikyo sat together but then he picked up that scent again and his beloved's scent _"The scents, they're coming from the same direction, wait does that mean he's with my Kikyo? No! She wouldn't be with anyone else, not even him, that filthy half-breed!"_ He thought in disbelief and he ran to find her, hoping that his sweet beautiful Kikyo wasn't with that half-breed. But when he reached the lake, his eyes widen, his heart stopped at what he saw and it was his Kikyo with the filthy half-breed who he once considered to be his brother, Inuyasha.

He was horrified at the mere sight and then he saw as he watched his Kikyo step off the boat that swaggered gently, her bow and foot hit the deck as she gently fell forward hitting herself against him. His emotions stirred as he saw her look up at Inuyasha and they were gazing at each other's eyes and then the pole dropped from his hands and he wrapped his arms around her frail body, he was in complete shock as he touched his bellflower _"Kikyo."_ He said as he tighten his grip on her _"Kikyo, I will become a human."_ He never thought Inuyasha would go against his promise to their sister, and for his love _"I swear I'm not just saying this. I will become a human." "Inuyasha." "So you can become a normal human too. And be my..." "Enough." "Stop. That's all I need to hear." "Kikyo, I truly am in..."_ Then she kissed him which surprised him but he returned it.

He was shocked that the woman he loved, the priestess who thawed the icy barrier around his heart and made him love her, a human kissed the half-breed who he once considered to be his brother, who he hated because of their dear sweet sister, Ai's death which he blamed him for. He felt heartbroken that his Kikyo, his bellflower, his beloved betrayed him. His golden eyes were filled with hurt as he held onto the silver stick, it's ruby glistened as he watched the scene before him. His heart instantly shattered as he closed his eyes. _"You found another Kikyo? You replaced me? An impossible task that I could never do and you had easily done so with my own blood? My heart will only belong to you and will always be there for you, but how could you betray me? Betray me with my weakest fault...my heart."_ He thought as he turned away from the scene and vanished.

Days, weeks, months… Since the day Sesshomaru saw his Kikyo with that half-breed and kiss him, he returned to his old cold, heartless self who despise humans. Then the panther demon tribe declared war for revenge and an army of demons that his father saved in the last war and then Jaken came to him, saying he had terrible news and he told him that he acted on his own and went to fetch Inuyasha even though he's a half-demon, he's still his father's son. He was outraged that he said his name in his presence but he asked where was he and asked if he was too cowardly to show himself or did he refuse to come to his brother's aid but it was neither, he was placed under a spell by the priestess he once loved.

That surprised him because they seemed happy together the last time he saw them. After the battle, he was wondering what happened between them for that to happen. After the battle, the panther demon tribe fled from battle and there were many corpses then he asked Jaken,

"Jaken?"

"Yes, milord?"

"Where did you hear this rumour about the half-breed?"

"You mean Lord Inuyasha, milord?" Sesshomaru took his eyes from the battlefield long enough to glare at his retainer for such a stupid question, and Jaken hastened to answer. "To the east, milord. Word has it he spent the last ten years in the land of Musashi, and was placed under the spell months ago. They say he can be found in the forest where the Bone-Eater's Well lies, the forest that is now called the Forest of Inuyasha."

"Hn. That fool has a forest named after him?" Sesshomaru paused. "What of this priestess you spoke of?"

"Dead, milord. It is said that she sealed him to a tree before she succumbed to her wounds."

Sesshomaru's eyes widen in shock by that news. _"Kikyo... is dead?"_ The word coiled treacherously around his thoughts like a serpent, sharp-toothed and disquieting. The wind ruffled his hair and clothes, bringing with it a particularly strong whiff of the battlefield. Irritation flooded his mind.

"Jaken." he said abruptly. "I am leaving."

He turned without waiting for a reply, ignoring Jaken's questions, and strode out of the encampment with the sun at his back. _"What happened between Kikyo and Inuyasha after I saw them kiss. And is she really dead?"_ He wondered as he went to see what Jaken said was true.

When Sesshomaru arrived in the the land of Musashi, when he found Inuyasha sealed to a tree with a arrow and then he went to see to Kikyo's ever so lovely eyes, hoping Jaken was wrong about her being dead. He yearned to be with her once again and hold her close, longed to get lost in the infinite beauty of her earth-brown pools, to bask in the freshness of her flowery scent and surrender, even if for just one second or two, to those wonderful feelings she had planted in him.

Instead, he found her grave.

Days of incessant searching had led him to that heart-wrenching result. Laying a few meters away from the shrine where the Shikon jewel used to be kept was Kikyo's burial place, the sad smell of death filling up his nostrils, and the sight of bellflowers causing a stinging sensation to his eyes. If only her body hadn't been turned into ash, perhaps Tenseiga could restore her life… The present situation had rendered the healing fang useless, though and there was nothing else the demon lord could do but mourn.

 _With you - I promised that I wouldn't change_

 _Even if we were apart, but_

 _If we become memories…_

Countless moons had shone in the night sky and retreated to their dim lairs before Sesshomaru found the strength to carry on and search for the vile creature that had dared to take his Kikyo from him. Surely, there would be hell to pay for their malign deeds, and the presently dejected lord of the Western Lands would make sure that who had so easily become his worst enemy met a world of pain before being sent right down to the crimson pits.

But he already knew that his nemesis had been already taken care of.

His demon blood boiled strongly in his veins because he already knew who had deprived the bellflower from her right to live. _"Inuyasha."_ He had snuck in just when Sesshomaru had no means of protecting his priestess, had employed such underhanded trick to strike his elder brother on the exact spot where he knew greater damage would be caused. That bastard had probably been after the Shikon Jewel, seeking powers his half breed body could never bear. What he failed to understand, though, was how the godly priestess had fallen a victim of that weakling…

When he saw his bellflower with that half breed and kiss him, he was heartbroken. His heart was aflame with fury, and in spite of all his fruitless attempts to calm himself down, to believe those were just mindless rumors that equally mindless villagers had been spreading, his soul could not be put at ease. What degraded lies had he told Kikyo in order to gain her trust? Furthermore, what sordid techniques had his half-brother employed as to erase all the memories of the wonderful times they had shared from the priestess' mind?

That was when one late thought occurred to him. What if Inuyasha hadn't had to resort to any kind of trick, after all…? What if she had chosen to be with him… on her own will..?

Never, he thought. Not his love…his bellflower. How could he ever doubt her? The only woman to ever genuinely love him in such way, the only one he ever had feelings for… No, it most certainly could not be. That was merely the workings of grief and sorrow slowly consuming his heart. His little brother must have made up a fallacious story, told her Sesshomaru had just been fooling around with her…

…or maybe Kikyo had just grown plain tired of waiting for his return.

Without his company, she had probably felt lonely, sad even. Her human nature was bound to make her weak, to allow her emotions to drive her actions. Perhaps she saw in Inuyasha another chance at love, believing he would serve as a good replacement for the insensitive demon who she thought had abandoned her. Fool. Sesshomaru was a man of his word, and he would never break the promise to return to her… Heh, perhaps her feelings hadn't been as strong as his, so he was forced out of her heart just as quickly as he had trailed his way in.

Volubility… Yet another characteristic ever so keen on humankind.

One thing made him nearly glad, though. That filthy half-breed, the priestess' newfound love, had killed her with his own hands after snagging the Shikon Jewel. Ah, how much pain she must have felt when his claws tore her flesh apart, when she realized she had merely been used… The corners of his lips quirked upwards slightly, in what could only be seen as a wicked smile. He was positive she had regretted choosing his half brother, and that alone was enough to raise his spirits, even if ever so slightly.

Disgusting. He was beginning to take pleasure in knowing his beloved had endured so much suffering. Had it been any different, he would have gone out of his way just to ensure no harm would befall his dearest priestess, to protect her from any foe who tried to lay a finger on her snowy skin… Now, however, things had changed. She had betrayed him and died. Inuyasha had been sealed to the Sacred Tree. The lovely moments he had spent together with his bellflower, the words of affection they had exchanged… It was all in the past now, and dwelling in those days would not be wise. Moving on was the only option left.

But before Sesshomaru left, he approached Kikyo's grave and knelt in front of it and he decided to be true to his feelings for her, his love for her one last time "Forgive me for not coming early for you. Please forgive me, I'm sorry. You waited for so long for me to come back to you. You needed me and I wasn't here for you." Then he picked up the scent of daisies and he knew who it belonged to. "I know you're here. You can come out now." Then he heard someone come out of the bushes and walked up to him but he knew it was Kikyo's little sister, Kaede. "I remember you. You're that man who brought back my sister before. Did you come to pay your respects to my sister's grave?"

The word 'grave' just made Sesshomaru froze but he said "Yes, I have." "But you're a demon. Why are you visiting her grave?" He thought not to tell her that he loved Kikyo but she'd be the only one who knew his and her sister's secret and she deserves to know "Well, that's because..." Then he stood and turned around to look at the child "I loved your sister more than anything." He saw her face when he said that, she was shocked "But I thought that she was in love with Inuyasha." He flinched at the mention of the half breed's name "I met your sister last year and I fell in love with her and I wanted her to be with me in my lands and to find a way to get rid of the Shikon Jewel so she could finally have her wish, to be an ordinary woman. And I wanted you to come with us. But we were found out and Kikyo told me to return in one year. But I was held up by thousands of demons and after I took care of them, I came straight to her but I saw with that half breed and I was heartbroken at that sight and then I left. I kept the hair pin she gave me before I left."

Then he heard Kaede say, "I didn't know that. I never thought that you loved my sister." He asked her, "Kaede, if you knew that your sister and I were in love, would you have ratted on us?" He expected her to say yes, because he was a demon. "If I knew that you and my sister were in love, I would've been happy for you." That surprised him. "You were the first man my sister loved and you wanted to give her wish, to be an ordinary woman. No one's better for my sister than you. If I knew of your promise, I would've told her that you would come back to her. I'm so sorry." He was surprised by her answer but he was and smiled "Thank you, Kaede. I'm sorry about your eye, by the way. Can you keep our meeting and what I told a secret?" She nodded with a smile on her face.

And then he turned around and knelt in front of the grave and pulled something out of his kimono, it was the hair pin that Kikyo gave him last year. _"Kikyo, you were the first woman I loved, the person I cared for a long time. And I never stopped loving you, my beloved. My gift to you is the hair pin you gave me. Goodbye, my bellflower. I love you, Kikyo."_ As he placed the pin on the shrine, a teardrop rolled down his cheek. He stood up and started to walk away,

"Wait. What's your name?" Kaede asked. Then he stopped and said "It's Sesshomaru."

"That's a nice name. You would've been a great big brother." His eyes widen in shock and turned his head around at the little girl because he didn't see that coming at all but she reminded him of his little sister, Ai and he smiled and said "You know, you would've been a wonderful little sister." She was surprised by his answer but she smiled with happiness. _"Because you remind me of my sweet little sister who I lost 10 years ago."_ He turned his head back and said "Goodbye, Kaede."

Gathering the remainders of his strength, a brokenhearted demon abandoned the village, a place where he had experienced a short period of happiness, without sparing even one last look at his beloved's graves or her little sister. By that time, he had decided the only effective means of getting over his loss was turning his love into hatred. Hatred towards the priestess, as well as humankind itself. He was aware he could not erase her from his mind or deny the effects she had had in his life, but he could hate her. Yes, he would loathe her name, despise anything that was remotely related to her… but he would never forget her.

She was to remain forever alive through his bittersweet memories.

It was then that a barrier built on ice was erected around the demon's heart, and Kikyo became nothing but a tragic remembrance of earlier times. Of course, he never bothered to continue his investigations; should he have opted to do otherwise, he would have discovered the truth about the priestess, and her real motives for having turned to his half-brother. The waiting for him to return to her and Tsubaki's curse, which eventually made her fall for the silver-haired half demon… Thankfully, that little fact of her curse never came to his knowledge, for they would have made it a lot harder for him to hate the one woman he ever loved, and overcoming the pain of losing her would have turned into an impossible task throughout the half century that had elapsed since then.

 _Even memories cannot contend with_

 _The warmth at your side…_

Year after year, the demon lord kept his lingering feelings for Kikyo locked in the confines of his soul, but many had been the occasions when they gained new life and returned to haunt him, after the day he met a young girl named Rin. The way she never feared him, the way she cared so deeply for him…It all reminded him of that woman. Was that why he felt compelled to bring her back from the world of the dead with the use of Tenseiga…? Was that why he had allowed the girl to follow him in his journeys? Perhaps. Truth be told, Rin had managed to somewhat thaw out his heart, but he knew that void would remain there, for it could never be entirely filled.

Then it happened.

After Hyoga was resurrected, he went to see for himself what was happening and then he saw orbs of light in the sky headed toward a giant tree so he went to see what was going on and then he saw a person standing on the cliff and his eyes widen in shock when that the person was a human, a priestess with her raven hair blowing in the wind that he knew and loved 51 years ago.

 _"It can't be… Kikyo…?"_

He couldn't believe it, Kikyo was alive after 50 years but unfortunately the smell of bones and graveyard soil emitting from her which meant that she was dead but she walks the earth. He quietly walked up behind her and stopped a few feet away from her and then he heard her say, "You're Inuyasha's older brother." He was shocked that she said that then he realised that she still loved Inuyasha but wanted to kill him.

"The girl named Kagome, you truly must loathe her. Or are you merely testing her powers? He asked her "I loathe all things. I despise every living creature who is bound to time." She answered him "Do as you see fit. Though I warn you, I shall be the one to destroy Inuyasha." Then he walked off, away from her then Jaken asked him "Lord Sesshomaru, are you sure it was a wise decision to let that woman go free?"

"Are you blind, Jaken? That woman is already dead." Then he walked away. But then it happened again.

In an attempt to lure Sesshomaru into the holy mountain of Hakurei, Rin had been kidnapped by one of the Band of Seven, a group of zombie-like warriors working for Naraku, the half-breed trying to gather all of the Shikon shards in his endless thirst for power. Caught up in his fight with the most feminine member of the gang, the silver-haired man feared for the girl's life in Suikotsu's hands, who refused to give in even after having his chest struck right through by Tokijin. Just when he thought there was no way to defeat his opponent, a powerful scared arrow was fired right at the other man's neck, offering Rin a chance to escape.

For a split second, golden oculars were fixed on that arrow. That kind of power was one he had only witnessed once in his long life. That girl wearing peculiar garments, that who had freed Inuyasha from his deep slumber, she held that same sort of energy, only in a much lower level. No, it most definitely had not been Kagome. Upon taking notice of who had shot that holy arrow, something inside his chest stopped beating; surely, words could not express his shock at the sight of a certain raven haired woman in priestess robes walked past him, bow held firmly in her little hand.

It was Kikyo again.

He watched her intently as she trudged her way past him and kneeled by the man her arrow had just struck. The same graceful movements, the same voice and scent… he felt her hopeful gaze fixed on him, moments before he left without sparing her a single word. She was dead and no longer held feelings for him; he had employed great effort in his attempts to rid himself of the memories of their time together. Yes, they would both be better off that way.

And yet, in a moment of weakness, he hesitated and glanced back at the sorrowful beauty. _"Hmm, the priestess who bound Inuyasha to a tree. She's just like the others, reeking of bones and graveyard soil. Perhaps she was given a glimpse of her own fate."_ The idea of being face to face with his once beloved bellflower and get the answers he so longed for crossed his mind. Possibly she would tell him about the awful misunderstanding that had brought them apart in the past, and then they could retake their relationship from where it had been left off… _Foolishness_. So feeble of him to believe their romance could be mended. Rin's voice interrupted his musings and those silly dreams were left behind as the proud demon moved forth and disappeared among the mist, not daring to speak to Kikyo again.

Right now, however, he regretted never having done so.

He was there when it happened. He watched impotently as Naraku's expandable tentacles shot right towards the undead priestess and pierced through her chest, forcing her down the fissure he had previously opened. Kikyo had been imprudent enough as to face the enemy on her own, and the outcome of their battle had not been very satisfying for her. As hard as he had tried to remain indifferent to her presumed death, the demon lord felt a wave of rage wash over him; he might have hated the priestess, but he would not allow anyone to take her life once again and get away with it.

He had charged against his nemesis, trusted the very core of his soul into that battle. His insides were burning with a mix of fury and renewed grief, though not for a second did his façade display any sort of emotion. Much to the great demon's chagrin, Naraku managed to perform one of his sneaky escapes, mockingly laughing at Sesshomaru for not being able to destroy him. He scolded at himself. Not only had he failed to defeat the half-breed fiend, but also failed to avenge Kikyo's death…

"This miasma is terrible…" As the imp stared down at the running river of miasma at the very bottom of the fissure, his peculiar voice made itself known in Sesshomaru's ears, forcing him out of the outpouring of recollections he had long plunged into. "There's no way she could have survived it…"

That was it. Mustering all of his self-control as to not allow foolish emotions such as hatred and sorrow to come rushing back to him, the Western prince spun on his heels and made to leave, for he had seen enough for one day. He only wished to get away from that place as soon as he could, to forget about the events his eyes had witnessed…

"Hold on, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha shouted before his brother could leave. When he paused in mid-step and glanced back at him, the half-demon went on, rage and distress dripping from every word he spat. "Did you just watch her get killed? Didn't you do anything to help?" Even though it was true, Sesshomaru would not be admitting such thing anytime soon, especially to that half-breed, so he simply chose to turn around and follow his way. "I told you to STOP!" He put his hand on Tessaiga, seeing as he would get no easy reply from his elder sibling.

"I don't care to know what your connection to that woman was." The demon lord's voice was finally heard as he made yet another pause and stared at the other man. "The person responsible for killing Kikyo was Naraku." It was with no little effort he pronounced her name, though his features never showed any signs of it. Feeling immensely glad to see so much angst stamped on his brother's face, he carried on in his ever so cold tone. "And you, you're the one who didn't save her. Inuyasha, blame yourself."

At that moment, the lord of the Western Lands knew he had hurt Inuyasha deeper than he ever had before. The power of his cruel words was enough to outcome even that of his sword, Tokijin. They were, of course, a lie. If anyone was to be blamed for not rescuing the priestess, it was Sesshomaru himself. He had made it in time to stop Naraku from harming her, but that stubborn pride of his drove him to refrain from getting involved. Dropping all the guilt on the half demon's shoulders, however, was a much easier option than dealing with the fact he was the one who did not protect the bellflower.

Enough. It was time to go, he turned around and walked away. But first, one last impious remark. "Rather than take your anger out on me, I suggest you go after Naraku." With that said, Sesshomaru walked away along with his faithful servant, their forms gradually vanishing among a mix of mist and dust as a devastated Inuyasha was left behind to mourn over his horrible loss.

As his feet guided him towards somewhere he wasn't sure of, Sesshomaru had his mind assaulted by unsettling thoughts once more. It was over. If there had ever been one slight chance for him to know true happiness again, it had fallen down that cliff and died along with the priestess. He felt empty, lonely and, before realization could dawn upon him, he found himself praying that, someday, they would be reunited. Yes, his love for the priestess was never truly gone from his heart; it had been carefully buried in a safe place, but the latest events had dragged it out.

One deep breath was taken. Lamenting was of no use, for it could not erase the past or undo what had gone wrong. Once again, he was to gather all his might and move on with his own life, to forger that there had been a time when a simple human wench had earned his trust and affections and that he had ever considered the idea of abandoning his vicious nature and demon ways just so he would be fit to live by her side… Oh, how stupid he had been back then.

 _So a wistful sigh unerringly welled forth_

 _May it take flight and go so far_

 _That it reaches you…_

For a brief moment, the demon felt a strange presence roaming above his head. His burning golden oculars darted upwards as to check what creatures had dared to approach him when his mood was bordering sinister and unlikely to spare lives. One look at their long, snake-like bodies was enough for him to recognize that kind of demons as Soul Collectors. Not too long ago, he had seen one of those soul-snatchers follow Kikyo to her poisonous grave, so he assumed his unexpected, if temporary companions were also looking for their mistress. Little did they know their search was faded to fail.

A deceptively low sigh escaped Sesshomaru's lips when his keen sense of smell got a slight whiff of the priestess's scent when those serpent-like beasts brushed right past him. It would be the last time he would have his nostrils filled with that sweet fragrance, the last time he would have a memento of his bellflower, so he might as well take off his mask of indifference and be true to his feelings, just this once. Perhaps that would lessen the guilt-ridden burden he was forced to bear.

Memories. So many of them. Just when Sesshomaru freed his spirit from the hateful strings keeping such recollections locked, they engulfed him in a forceful wave, scenarios playing in the back of his mind with such richness of details that, for one split second, he thought he had traveled back in time.

Long locks of ebony hair performed a graceful dance in the wind, eventually coming to brush against her pale complexion as though laying a gentle caress. The heavenly beauty sat under the tallest sakura tree in the area, the very spot they had arranged for their evening meetings. Angelic features lightened up when her earth-brown hues caught sight of the demon prince and a radiant smile made itself known in her face. She welcomed her lover in her arms, showered him with kisses and spoiled him with enormous amounts of tenderness. Ah, those moments were always something to look forward to.

The night they parted had been much like the same, only he had felt a lot sadder than he usually would when it was time to say goodbye. He remembered their last words to each other. _'I will return within a year.' 'Return this when our love is once again reunited...' 'Now please, hurry so you can hurry back to me.'_ Those were the last words he had ever told the raven-haired woman.

He then recalled one minor detail that had escaped his knowledge upon that occasion. The bellflower's already cheerless eyes nearly overflowed with sorrow when she gave him the hair stick. Feeling his chest grow heavier by the second, the proud demon with star-painted mane now wished he had returned soon to his lover and to spare her the pain of waiting for him to come back to her.

"Lord Sesshomaru…?" A hesitant Jaken called tentatively, seeing as his master had been immobile for several moments, lost in his own musings. Sparing a very brief glance at his servant, Sesshomaru resumed his pace, striding his way out of the accursed Hakurei in all his glory.

Not for a second could he get rid of Kikyo's voice ringing inside his mind, though, it had been her dream to become an ordinary woman so she could live by her beloved's side. But it was too late. They were two worlds apart now, and her wish could no longer become true…

Wrong. Death had released her from the burden of guarding the Shikon Jewel, and her soul was much more free to feel emotions than it had ever been when she still belonged in the living realm. She was no longer that holy priestess people looked up to as though she had the power to solve all their troubles; she was simply Kikyo, a woman who longed to love and have her feelings returned.

Never taking a pause from his walk so Jaken would not disturb him yet again, the lord of the Western Lands allowed his horizon golden eyes to stare at the ash-gray skies above, hints of a genuinely melancholy smile playing on his lips. It was only fair that he could repay her for all the happy moments she had brought him, even if their romance had ended in such way. His long lashes batted closed for a moment and he plunged into deep focus, as though his very life depended on it.

 _"Sayonara… My beloved Kikyo."_

With yet another soft sigh, the demon prince hoped his silent prayer could reach the bellflower wherever heavenly places the gods might have assigned for her eternal rest, redirecting his attention back to the long, solitary path lying ahead.


End file.
